505.60
Health insurance for township officers and employees.

(A)
As provided in this section and section
505.601 of the Revised Code, the
board of township trustees of any township may procure and pay all or any part
of the cost of insurance policies that may provide benefits for
hospitalization, surgical care, major medical care, disability, dental care,
eye care, medical care, hearing aids, prescription drugs, or sickness and
accident insurance, or a combination of any of the foregoing types of insurance
for township officers and employees. The board of township trustees of any
township may negotiate and contract for the purchase of a policy of long-term
care insurance for township officers and employees pursuant to section
124.841 of the Revised Code.

If the board procures any
insurance policies under this section, the board shall provide uniform coverage
under these policies for township officers and full-time township employees and
their immediate dependents, and may provide coverage under these policies for
part-time township employees and their immediate dependents, from the funds or
budgets from which the officers or employees are compensated for services, such
policies to be issued by an insurance company duly authorized to do business in
this state.

(B)
The board may also provide coverage for any or all
of the benefits described in division (A) of this section by entering into a
contract for group health care services with health insuring corporations
holding certificates of authority under Chapter 1751. of the Revised Code for
township officers and employees and their immediate dependents. If the board so
contracts, it shall provide uniform coverage under any such contracts for
township officers and full-time township employees and their immediate
dependents, from the funds or budgets from which the officers or employees are
compensated for services, and may provide coverage under such contracts for
part-time township employees and their immediate dependents, from the funds or
budgets from which the officers or employees are compensated for services,
provided that each officer and employee so covered is permitted to:

(1)
Choose between a plan offered by an insurance company and a plan offered by a
health insuring corporation, and provided further that the officer or employee
pays any amount by which the cost of the plan chosen exceeds the cost of the
plan offered by the board under this section;

(2)
Change the choice made under this division at a time each year as determined in
advance by the board.

An addition of a class or
change of definition of coverage to the plan offered under this division by the
board may be made at any time that it is determined by the board to be in the
best interest of the township. If the total cost to the township of the revised
plan for any trustee's coverage does not exceed that cost under the plan in
effect during the prior policy year, the revision of the plan does not cause an
increase in that trustee's compensation.

(C)
Any township officer or employee may refuse to accept any coverage authorized
by this section without affecting the availability of such coverage to other
township officers and employees.

(D)
If
any township officer or employee is denied coverage under a health care plan
procured under this section or if any township officer or employee elects not
to participate in the township's health care plan, the township may reimburse
the officer or employee for each out-of-pocket premium attributable to the
coverage provided for the officer or employee and their
immediate dependents for insurance benefits described in division (A) of
this section that the officer or employee otherwise obtains, but not to exceed
an amount equal to the average premium paid by the township for its officers
and employees under any health care plan it procures under this
section.

(E)
The board may provide the benefits authorized
under this section, without competitive bidding, by contributing to a health
and welfare trust fund administered through or in conjunction with a collective
bargaining representative of the township employees.

The board may also
provide the benefits described in this section through an individual
self-insurance program or a joint self-insurance program as provided in section
9.833 of the
Revised Code.

(F)
If a board of township trustees fails to pay one
or more premiums for a policy, contract, or plan of insurance or health care
services authorized under this section and the failure causes a lapse,
cancellation, or other termination of coverage under the policy, contract, or
plan, it may reimburse a township officer or employee for, or pay on behalf of
the officer or employee, any expenses incurred that would have been covered
under the policy, contract, or plan.